BC TEAL 2025 Annual Conference

BC TEAL is proud to present our 2025 Annual Conference: Disruptive Educational Practices: Strategies for Transformation.

Please note that the Friday evening event, the TEAL Charitable Foundation Awards & Fundraiser, requires an additional ticket purchase. Please register here to secure your spot and join us in celebrating the awardees while fundraising for a better cause in TEAL.

Educators shine in times of change to face unexpected challenges. This is when creativity flourishes by combining proven practices with fresh and innovative ideas. These times call for transformation which can be rooted in tradition or experience, or it can arise through unexplored approaches. The synthesis of old and new ideas drives meaningful progress. Join other insightful and creative educators as we flourish within the power of our community.

1:00pm PDT

[Part 1] Avenue.ca Local Innovation Leadership

Friday May 2, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm PDT

TBA

The session will delve into the challenges educators face in integrating technology, such as limited access, training gaps, and resistance to change. It will also explore the barriers posed by current policies and funding structures, as well as shifting priorities among funders that impact technology implementation in language training programs.

We will then describe a tool for instructors and leaders: technology standards and their importance in guiding change. This session will provide a comprehensive overview of Avenue Technology-enhanced Language Learning (TELL) Standards and their importance in guiding effective integration of technology into settlement language training. Participants will gain insight into the rapidly evolving landscape of learning technologies, identifying both opportunities and obstacles to their adoption.

Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the critical need for technology standards and a clear perspective on how these standards can empower educators to adapt and thrive in a changing settlement landscape. This session is designed for language educators, program administrators, and decision-makers interested in leveraging technology to enhance teaching practices and student outcomes.

Through engaging discussions, participants will reflect on their own experiences and identify strategies to overcome obstacles while embracing opportunities for innovation. The session sets the foundation for practical, hands-on exploration in the second part of the workshop.

Speakers

Rob McBride

Executive Director, New Language Solutions

Rob has worked for NLS for many years. Rob works as a teacher, researcher, writer, producer and project manager.

Dr. Deborah Healey

Professor, University of Oregon

Deborah is a teacher educator, the 2019-2020 President of TESOL International Association, and a contributor to TESOL and Avenue Technology Standards publications.

Matthias Sturm

Lead Evaluator and Researcher, New Language Solutions

Matthias Sturm has been researcher and evaluator for the Avenue-LearnIT2teach Project since 2010. Matthias is also working on a PhD in digital inclusion and equity.

Bonnie Nicholas

Mentor, New Language Solutions

Bonnie is a mentor with Avenue and has taught online and blended classes for over a decade. She is always learning and improving her practice.

Friday May 2, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm PDT
TBA

Education Technology, LINC

2:00pm PDT

[Part 2] Avenue.ca Local Innovation Leadership

Friday May 2, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm PDT

TBA

Building on the foundational insights from the first session, this workshop will focus on practical applications of TELL standards through interactive discussions and multimedia resources. Participants will review video interviews and testimonials from both Avenue Learning Leadership course graduates and the attendees of NorQuest College’s Standards workshops. These real-world examples showcase successful implementations of learning technology and provide actionable takeaways for educators.

The session will also feature curated multimedia elements, including short podcasts and participant reflections, to foster a dynamic and engaging learning environment. Through these resources, attendees will explore innovative solutions for integrating technology into their teaching practices, overcoming challenges, and creating more engaging and effective learning experiences for their students.
Interactive discussions will encourage participants to reflect on their own experiences and collaborate on identifying practical strategies for navigating barriers, leveraging opportunities, and aligning with shifting funder priorities. By engaging directly with peer experiences and best practices, participants will develop actionable plans tailored to their unique contexts.

Designed to be both reflective and practical, this session equips attendees with tools, ideas, and inspiration to implement TELL standards effectively and drive innovation in their programs. Presenters will share their expertise and insights, creating a collaborative space where participants can explore technology integration and leadership development.

Speakers

Rob McBride

Executive Director, New Language Solutions

Rob has worked for NLS for many years. Rob works as a teacher, researcher, writer, producer and project manager.

Dr. Deborah Healey

Professor, University of Oregon

Deborah is a teacher educator, the 2019-2020 President of TESOL International Association, and a contributor to TESOL and Avenue Technology Standards publications.

Matthias Sturm

Lead Evaluator and Researcher, New Language Solutions

Matthias Sturm has been researcher and evaluator for the Avenue-LearnIT2teach Project since 2010. Matthias is also working on a PhD in digital inclusion and equity.

Bonnie Nicholas

Mentor, New Language Solutions

Bonnie is a mentor with Avenue and has taught online and blended classes for over a decade. She is always learning and improving her practice.

Friday May 2, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm PDT
TBA

Education Technology, LINC

3:30pm PDT

Work-Life Balance Strategies for your Teaching Practice with Avenue

Friday May 2, 2025 3:30pm - 4:15pm PDT

TBA

The workshop begins with a review of findings from user feedback of theAvenue.ca learning and teaching platform and instructor training. These findings provide a current, evidence-based context for the session. Avenue (formerly EduLINC and LearnIT2teach) has been serving the LINC community since 2010.

Avenue has enjoyed broader and broader adoption by the LINC sector since the start of the pandemic. The online teaching that language instructors adopted rapidly in response to the limitation to in-person program delivery has accelerated learning technology innovation since. Many teachers are committed to take their online and blended language training practices to higher levels of efficiency and effectiveness.

Online and blended program delivery disrupts practices of instructors and managers. This workshop presents strategies for transformation embedded in front-line experiences through an open discussion about teachers’ better work-life balance.

The vison and support of local leaders has a central role in the innovation process. This session will also offer findings from an evaluation of the Avenue Learning Leadership Certificate (ALLC) training, offered to LINC instructors, lead teachers, and program administrators. The training takeaways are reinforced by the leadership experiences of LINC instructors, LearnIT2teach mentors, and a program leader from Vancouver Community College (VCC).

Participants will benefit from an environment for open discussion. The workshop will explore what constitutes effective strategies and leadership: What is effective and efficient 21st Century teaching practice and program delivery? How can skillful use of learning technology contribute to a better work-life balance for instructors?

The objectives of this workshop are for participants to:

Learn about findings from user feedback of Avenue.ca and an evaluation of the Avenue Learning Leadership Certificate (ALLC)
Share experiences of teachers and administrators demonstrate lessons learned from frontline practice
Receive practical tips on improving your work-life balance though more effective and efficient blended and online teaching practice

Speakers

Vesna Radivojevic

Assistant Department Head, Vancouver Community College (VCC)

Vesna Radivojevic has been teaching EAL for 23 years, mostly in ELSA/LINC programs. She supports instructors as a coordinator and Assistant Department Head at VCC.

Matthias Sturm

Lead Evaluator and Researcher, New Language Solutions

Matthias Sturm has been researcher and evaluator for the Avenue-LearnIT2teach Project since 2010. Matthias is also working on a PhD in digital inclusion and equity.

Chayan Mallick

Mentor, New Language Solutions (Avenue)

Chayan has 25 years of ESL teaching experience in home and abroad. She has also been working as an online mentor with Avenue since 2016.

Bonnie Nicholas

Mentor, New Language Solutions

Bonnie is a mentor with Avenue and has taught online and blended classes for over a decade. She is always learning and improving her practice.

Friday May 2, 2025 3:30pm - 4:15pm PDT
TBA

Education Technology, LINC

8:30am PDT

Transform Your Teaching and Have Your Three Wishes Granted

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am PDT

TBA

Your Three Wishes Granted: 1) Multi-level, CLB-aligned materials 2) Emerging learner & literacy support 3) Occupational training

Roberta will walk attendees through the grants ( and the application process) provided through Pro Literacy, and how they give adult learning programs free access to easy to use solutions for online and in class learning.

Mobile Learning Fund Grants, which are available year round, give programs access to:

1) A results driven English learning platform used to upskill English language learners to prepare them for real world taks, increase civic engagement, fill in-demand jobs and advance in the workforce.
2) A fun and engaging app to help learners make gains in reading, English, math, work,life, health, digital and financial literacy.
3) A high-school equivalency test prep platform ( with the Canadian Adult Education Credential) that can be understood and easily utilized by learners at a foundational skills level.
4) A weekly online news source with easy-to-read global current events stories and a plethora of Canadian articles that build EAL learners reading language, and media literacy skills.

The goal is to continue building capacity among literacy and language programs by supporting the adoption of digital learning solutions, helping all types of learners who may...
•have very busy lifestyles with work/ and or parenting, etc.
•not be able to regularly attend classes.
•be on a waiting list.
•need to make faster gains.

Grants provided through the National Book Fund assist literacy, EAL and basic education programs by providing quality print materials through New Readers Press to enable a better serving of students.

Speakers

Roberta Power

Educational Consultant, Pro Literacy New Readers Press

An English instructor/ LINC teacher for more 20 years, Roberta is now the Educational Consultant in Canada for Pro Literacy's publishing division, New Readers Press.Additionally, Roberta has lived out her passion for the English language and the human psyche by creating self-help... Read More →

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am PDT
TBA

Education Technology, LINC

11:00am PDT

Ready to transform your teaching? Let’s teach online with Avenue.

Saturday May 3, 2025 11:00am - 11:45am PDT

TBA

Participants in this workshop will be encouraged to share ways that they have transformed their online courses on platforms such as Avenue from cookie-cutter versions to something more personalised, more engaging, and more accessible.

The facilitators, who between them have 20 years of experience in blended and online environments, will share some ways that they themselves have made their online courses more user-friendly for the learners, while focusing on the goal of quality teaching and learning within online spaces. They will first briefly discuss the Community of Inquiry framework (Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education model. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2-3), 87-105.), which suggests that successful teaching in online spaces requires a teaching, social and cognitive presence, sharing how online courses can be transformed by creating these presences.

They will then briefly look at selected aspects of the Avenue Instructor Standards for Technology-Enhanced Language Learning and demonstrate how the standards can validate instructors’ current practices while guiding them towards innovation in their online or blended courses — to move beyond our current practices and the way we’ve always done things; to think about instructional design and to try some tested tools and resources in new ways.

Attendees will participate in two short breakout groups to discuss how they create presence in their online classes, to share their experiences in how they have been creative and transformed their own courses, and then report back to all attendees. The facilitators will collect these ideas, organize them, and share them with the participants, who will leave with concrete and creative ideas for disrupting their own educational practices, moving past the way they may have always done things, and using their own and others’ experiences to transform online learning spaces.

Speakers